136-28 39th Ave
Flushing NY 11354
I've been to dim sum almost everywhere in the city from Flushing, Forest Hills, Chinatown and even Chinatown in Philly. Even with trying all these different dim sum places my favorite place to go to is Jade Asian Restaurant in Flushing. If you're planing to try it out on a weekend I suggest going early because the wait can be anywhere from 30-45 minutes. The food is literally that good. From the first time I went there I noticed not only Chinese people go there, but there's a big mix of nationalities that go.
The restaurant is not too far from the 7 train either. It's about two street blocks and half an avenue block. Once you know where to get off on the train it won't be that difficult for you to find it the second time around. Also Main Street can get a little crowded on the weekend as well. Take the train instead of driving in. Parking can take forever even at the municipal parking lot.
Once you get to the restaurant it is huge and can cater to small or large parties. Once you step inside it's like a big catering hall with many tables ranging from 5-10 people. If you go in a small group of two to four people they'll ask you if it's okay to share a table. It really doesn't matter to me if I have to share a table I don't mind doing so.
The best way to describe dim sum is it's brunch with Chinese traditional dishes and everything is a la cart. Some of my favorite dishes are pork shumai, beef tripe, chicken feet, this white noodle wrap like thing with shrimp inside it or fried dough (I have no idea what's it's called, I usually point at it and ask for shrimp or fried dough) spring rolls, etc. They also have baked or steamed pork buns and I usually decide on which one I order depending on my mood. It changes every time I go. Although some people might get grossed out when they hear beef tripe or chicken feet, don't knock it till you try it. The chicken feet especially is made with a teriyaki barbecue sauce and it's really good. Every Chinese restaurant that does dim sum has this dish available, but Jade Asian Restaurant is the best!!!
I think this place is the best because they have so many dishes going around. Some places have the typical dishes and that's it, but this restaurant has so much more to offer. Plus they have all the room in the world for it and there's always an endless amount of carts going around with people trying to sell what they have. There's also other dishes that I haven't tried and I don't have an interest in trying them because I'm content with getting my favorites.
Of course after every meal you have to have dessert and their egg custard has to be one of the best I've ever tried. It just melts in your mouth and the crust is very soft. Some of the Chinese bakeries make the crust a little too hard, but at Jade restaurant the crust is nice and flaky. Every time I go there I always have to get the egg custard. They have different kinds of puddings as well, but I've never tried them before. All of puddings look great, but I'm not a big pudding person.
So if you're in the mood for brunch and want to try something different go check out Jade Asian Restaurant. With so many different choices there's something for everyone at this place. I guarantee you won't regret it and you'll get out of there needing a pillow because the food is very filling.
Below are a couple of pictures I took while I was there the last time which was on Columbus Day.
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| Some of my Dim Sum faves. |
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| Egg Custard |
